My Go-To Holiday Brunch For Feeding A Crowd!
I love to host large groups for brunch, and this delicious, flaky Croissant Breakfast Casserole keeps mornings easy. Piled high with buttery croissants, crispy bacon, and lots of shredded cheese (I like a mix of nutty Gruyere and white Cheddar), this checks all the boxes for a satisfying savory breakfast that’s packed with flavor.
The end result is both creamy and indulgent with the added benefit of crispy croissant edges! Guests will beg you for the recipe. 🙌🏻
It’s great with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche on top and some fresh berries on the side. A restaurant-worthy breakfast from the comfort of home–plus, it easily feeds a crowd!
Looking for more chef-tested brunch dishes? Try these rich and creamy baked eggs en cocotte, beet cured salmon (perfect for bagels!), or a comforting breakfast strata with sausage.
Quick Ingredient Highlights
- Croissants: You don’t need to use fancy French bakery croissants for this recipe. Head to Costco and buy a large package of 8 prepared croissants.
- The bacon should be cut into small batons (also called lardons).
- Gruyere cheese adds a nutty, rich taste, while white Cheddar is more mild. They both melt beautifully!
- The custard base is a combination of eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, and (surprisingly!) a little Dijon mustard for tang.
- Stick with fresh herbs, like sage and chives.
How To Make A Croissant Breakfast Casserole
Full quantities and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Ari’s Best Tips!
- For best results, use slightly stale croissants. I’ve tested this with same-day croissants and they simply don’t hold up as well. You want crisp edges, not a mushy casserole.
- Place bacon underneath the croissant pieces so that they don’t burn on top. (Candied bacon could be delicious here!)
- Check 30 minutes into cook time – if the croissants are browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil.
- If you’re halving the recipe for a smaller group, this can be made in a large skillet (cast-iron makes for a beautiful presentation!).
🥂 Don’t Forget The Drinks ☕️
However you decide to serve this breakfast casserole, make sure there’s plenty of coffee and orange juice on hand! If you’re feeling a little boozy, this would be fantastic with a self serve Bloody Mary Bar at home–or mimosas! 🥂
Experiment With Your Favorite Ingredients!
- Bread: Try Challah, French bread, or even baguette. I’ve even tested my cheesy pesto bread in a savory strata before and it is fabulous.
- Meat: Breakfast sausage, ham, smoked salmon, or Canadian bacon could be delish!
- Add literally any vegetables you like.
- Fresh herbs: Instead of sage, go with rosemary, thyme or tarragon.
Truly one of my favorite easy-to-prep brunch recipes, especially for group entertaining. And my goodness, that flavor is something else. Make this one stat!
If you give this Croissant Breakfast Casserole recipe a try, please let us know by leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and rating below!
And make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes! Don’t forget to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #wellseasonedstudio and upload your photos below! We love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Tell Us What You Think!
If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a review and rating—we value your feedback and it helps us keep creating (and sharing!) free recipes. Your support means the world!
Rate this Recipe
Croissant Breakfast Casserole with Bacon & Gruyere
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 large croissants ripped into 2-3-inch pieces (about 3-4 pieces per croissant)
- 8 oz slab bacon sliced into batons about ¼-inch thick
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese shredded
- ½ cup white Cheddar cheese shredded
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped sage
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh chives thinly sliced, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the baking dish. Preheat an oven to 350F, then grease a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cook spray.
- Cook the bacon. Heat a skillet over medium heat. When hot, add bacon then cook until crispy, stirring often, about 4-5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to the prepared dish.
- Sprinkle on cheese. Combine 1 cup of shredded Gruyere and ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle about half of the cheese on top of the bacon, then reserve the rest. Place the ripped croissants on top. For a beautiful presentation, don’t pack them in tightly – allow some of the ends of the croissants to stick up a bit.
- Make the egg mixture. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 8 large eggs, 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 2 Tbsp chopped sage, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp Kosher salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the croissants, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake, then serve. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the croissants are golden brown and the cheese has crisped up. Check 30 minutes into cook time – if the croissants are browning too quickly, you can cover with aluminum foil. Cool for 5-10 minutes, then garnish with chives and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Make-Ahead: Assemble the casserole through step 3, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Wait to add the egg mixture until just before baking to avoid soggy croissants. You can also whisk the egg mixture ahead of time and store it separately in the fridge.
- Leftovers & Storage: Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 15–20 minutes, or until warmed through.
- Freezing: Let the casserole cool completely, then wrap tightly in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a 350°F oven for 30–35 minutes, or until heated through.
- I recommend placing bacon underneath the croissant pieces so they don’t burn.
Nutrition
Photography by: Cambrea of Cambrea Bakes
This was very delicious and easy. I cooked the bacon in the oven to reduce time at the stove and then crumbled it into the baking dish. I halved the recipe (it’s just 2 of us) and used half and half instead of heavy cream and it came out delicious. I also used Parmesan instead of Gruyere (didn’t have) and put the chives into the custard and finished with more fresh chives. This was a home run. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Phoebe! And thank you for sharing your modifications — I’m sure they’ll be helpful to other readers! xo, Ari
Wow!! This is really scrumptious! I made it for a colleague’s birthday breakfast and everybody loved it! I used whole milk instead of cream and it was still luscious and rich. Thank you, Ari!
So happy to hear all the co-workers loved it, Li! Luscious is a great way to describe it. Enjoy! xo, Ari
This looks so good! What a great dish to make for a holiday gathering!
Thanks, Suzanne! It’s so delicious! xo, Ari
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make it?
Hi Vanessa! Make-ahead instructions are included in both the blog post and on the recipe card. If you let the croissants soak overnight, they’ll turn to mush. I recommend prepping the croissant ingredients (you can keep them wrapped in the baking dish) and prepping the custard base (store this separately) and combining before you’re ready to bake. Best, Ari
This is very delicious! Everyone at a coworker’s birthday breakfast that I catered to went crazy for it! Substituting whole milk with the cream yielded the same decadent result. Many thanks, Ari!
Love to hear it! Yes, whole milk is great in a pinch! xo, Ari
This is a WOW brunch dish!! Just made for Easter brunch for a crowd of 20. I doubled the recipe and it was the biggest hit!! I didn’t have sage , so I used chives instead, but other than that small tweak, I followed the recipe to a tee and it came out PERFECTLY!
Agree, Jen — a totally impressive brunch! Thanks for your feedback! xo, Ari
The best!
Truly love it so much! Thanks, Susan! xo, Ari
Made this as written and loved it! I did not have chives, so I used scallions
Wonderful, so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks, Sharon! xo, Ari
I tweaked the recipe a wee bit to suit my tastes by adding chopped green onions, two dashes of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. It was a very easy recipe and absolutely delicious! It’s a keeper!
That sounds absolutely wonderful, Lianne. Thanks so much for the feedback! xo, Ari
You need to make the temperature obvious. Cannot find it for the life of me! Otherwise, great recipe.
Hi Lauren! It’s literally step 1 of the directions (verbatim): Prepare the baking dish. Preheat an oven to 350F, then grease a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cook spray.
Glad you enjoyed it, though! Best, Ari
I made this for brunch on Christmas day. And it was a total crowd pleaser. It was delicious and so easy to make. Found that mine needed to bake a smidge longer than the recipe called for. But will definitely be making this again
What a great Christmas day brunch! Thanks so much for the feedback, Cait! xo, Ari
This was like a delicious cross between a quiche and a bread pudding. The flakiness of the croissants really gave it that “crust” feeling without me rolling out the dough. This was so easy to make too! Definitely part of my rotation now for leftover croissants.
I love this feedback, thank you Jo! What a great way to describe the texture of the croissants. And isn’t the very best part of a quiche the crust?! So good, really glad you enjoyed. xo, Ari
This was a total hit with my family! We have littles that are a bit picky so we used mozzarella instead of gruyère. Also, I didn’t have dried sage so we used herb de Provence. We also added a bit more bacon just to be able to use the rest of what we had left in the package. They asked if we would keep this on the weekend rotation for breakfast. Highly recommend!
I’m so glad you were able to customize it to fit yours family’s preferences — your version sounds fantastic! Extra bacon is also always welcome in our house, ha! Cheers, Ari
Huge hit Thanksgiving 2024; my daughter also made it at Christmas for her fiancée’s family; again, it was a favorite. When I decided to prep a lot of “thaw, bake & eat” dishes for my son’s family prior to welcoming their 2nd baby (March 2025), this was one of the first I chose. It is delicious, filling, reheats beautifully, and is perfect with a salad or other simple side (like fruit) for dinner, lunch or brunch (or midnight snack with a wide-eyed newborn). I added 50% more of everything and kept a smaller casserole for my husband & me. It was delicious (just had it last night), as always. I used day-old mini croissants to better stand up to the freeze-thaw cycle without getting mushy, subbed yellow cheddar for white, and stirred the chives into the egg mixture. Thawed overnight in the fridge, then baked until puffy and golden brown. It’s a forever part of our family’s holiday & special occasion food traditions!
It’s just too good not to make on repeat! 😂 I love that it’s become a staple in your family. Thank you for sharing, Robin, and cheers to many more delicious brunch gatherings in the future! xo, Ari
Ok, this recipe was awful for my diet because it was just so incredible! I’ve always loved savory breakfast options, especially those with all things egg, cheese, and even better if it has bacon, so this recipe is honestly life-changing! I even managed to score some older croissants from the grocery store at a marked-down price and you could not tell one bit! I loved how simple this was, especially for the delicious flavor – I’ll be adding this to my breakfast recipe collection!
Ha! My heart dropped when I saw ‘this recipe was awful,’ but then I kept reading and my breathing returned to normal. Isn’t it delicious?! I’m a savory breakfast kind of gal through and through, so this one is definitely a favorite. I’m thrilled you loved it and that it made its way to your regular rotation. Thanks, Adelaide! Cheers, Ari
I made this breakfast casserole for Easter brunch and it was delicious! I substituted sourdough brioche for the croissants per your suggestion. The casserole was assembled through step 3 the previous night which made for easy preparation the following morning. I’ll definitely be making this again. Thanks Ari!
Isn’t it delicious?! I dream of this recipe. Love that you used brioche and that you were able to prep it in advance. Thanks for the feedback, Ann! Cheers, Ari
I made this for a brunch party. Easy and absolutely yummy. I would suggest making the crosannaints into smaller pieces
Other than that, very popular
So glad you all enjoyed it, Tracy! Cheers, Ari
This was AMAZING! My sister had made it for Mother’s Day and told me how much everyone enjoyed it so I wanted to try it for Father’s Day. I made it this morning for a group of 8 and it was so delicious. The combination of flavors was wonderful, as was the variety of textures between the crunchy outside of the croissants and the softer inside, the custardy eggs that had a lovely texture – soft and creamy but not undercooked- the sage and Dijon added to the flavor. Can’t wait to make it again. Thanks for my new favorite breakfast casserole!
Okay, wow! This looks absolutely spectacular, Vicki! Love that this is now a family favorite (it is here too!). Thanks for sharing and for posting a photo! Cheers, Ari
Me again! If I wanted to try it sometime with some vegetables added, would you recommend sautéing or cooking/roasting them first in some way before adding them to the bottom of the casserole dish so they don’t get soggy or make the croissants wet if liquid is released while it’s baking? Thanks! V
Love the idea of adding veggies! Yes, cooking prior (just like is done for the bacon) would make the most sense. If you decide to add something like cooked spinach, I’d be sure to squeeze out any excess liquid before adding to the pan. Report back so we know what you make and how it turns out! Best, Ari
it was so delish- added avo on top, and also used parmesan cheese/ My goodness mama mia!!!
Hell yes!! So good. Really glad you love this one too. Thanks, Keletso! Cheers, Ari